Dumb clucks?

[Maerzie]

I have Red Star hens this year, which started laying much younger than I expected (I had it marked down somewhere, but can't find it!) Anyway, I have been raising chickens, various breeds of dual purpose heavy hens, usually White Rocks, since 1970, and have never had any as stupid as these! They do lay nice big, brown eggs, including some double yolkers, and are supposed to lay well whether it's cold or hot weather, which is why I'm trying them. They are so DUMB they can't seem to figure out where to lay the eggs, dropping them all over in terrible places. One lays her eggs, right under the roost, in the poop. Does anyone know how to change these bad habits. This has never happened with any other breed. The coop and nests are exactly as they've been for years~~no unusual changes of anything.

We are also planning to take 3 hens with us, when we go down to Gulf Shores, AL, for the winter, and my S.O.'s daughter will take care of the rest. He's planning to build a little coop on wheels, as there are dogs around our small yard, so I won't be able to free range them. Does anybody know of an easy plan for a little coop on wheels for only 3 hens? Otherwise, he'll think of something.

Thanks.
Maerzie
NE Wisconsin

 

[chicknmania]

I don't think it's a question of being dumb. We have has only had one Red Star hen, but she definitely wasn't dumb and was a prolific layer and had a sweet personality to boot. Maybe there is something about your nest boxes they don't like. Maybe try repositioning them or using a different type of nesting material.

There's a whole thread of coops on here, maybe you can find something

 

[Maerzie]

Thanks for the ideas, "chicknmania". But, why would these chickens be the only breed in 45 years to find something wrong with the nests? A few started laying in the nests, but then, one oddball would drop an egg out on the lawn, or in the middle of the coop, and the others just followed. My S.O. had nailed a board to the ledge in front of the nests because he thought they could access more of the nests that way. I'll have him take that extra board off. Maybe that's what they don't like.

 

[chicknmania]

Maybe, hard to say without seeing.

 

[Maerzie]

I'm really not a "New Egg", but I just don't post very often. I used to subscrbe to a Chicken magazine too. Don't know if BYC was the same company, or not. They even published a picture of some of my chicks, which were the perfect picture of inherited genetics. The Mama chicken was a Blue Cochin, and the Daddy was a White Rock. One day, the Mama just proudly pranced out of her hiding place with three little chicks; one was white, one was blue, and the third was a perfectly mixed mulatto. It was so cute and amazing because we hadn't missed her (the Mama), and she did this absolutely on her own, somewhere, with no special water or food put out for her, because she did it all in secret! She was so proud of her accomplishment, and we couldn't believe it!

Maerzie